Wall and ceiling construction



April 23, 1940. F. w. RICHARDSON WALL AND CEILING CONSTRUCTION FiledApril 6. 1939 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENTGFFHCE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to wall and ceiling construction of the typecomposed of so-called panel boards, which are made of various materialsor compositions of materials and are supported in wall orceiling-forming positions by attaching them to such conventional backingor structural members as studs, joists, and the like.

Important objects of the present invention are to generally improve walland ceiling constructions of the type wherein panel boards are employed;to facilitate fastening the panel boards securely in wall orceiling-forming positions; and to make it easily possible to lend a neatfinish to the wall or ceiling along all lines of jointure r betweenadjacent panel boards.

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will become apparent fromthe following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a fragmental view illustrating inelevation a wall or ceiling constructed in accordance with the presentinvention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a sectional View, enlarged with reference to the scale of Fig. 1illustrating the present invention as embodied in a pair of meetingwalls, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a panel board, the sectionbeing taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In providing a wall or ceiling construction according to the presentinvention, a plurality of panel boards ii are employed, which panelboards may be preformed from various materials or compositions ofmaterials such for example as plaster, fibre, and equivalents thereof.These panel boards 5 may be of standardized dimensions and are so shapedin section as to present a plurality of marginal ledges 6 which aredisposed rearwardly of the plane of the wall-forming face i of therespective panel boards. As will be read-- ily understood from thedrawing, particular reference being had to Figs. 3 and 4, thewall-forming face i of each panel board is disposed in a plane parallelto and spaced from the plane of the ledges 5, between which planes thepanel board is bevelled as shown at 8. Further regarding thecross-sectional contour of the panel boards, it is to be especiallynoted that each of them is so formed, as will be readily understood fromFigs. 3 and 4, that their opposite ends and sides are disposed in planesperpendicular to the plane of the wall-forming face 1 as well as theplane of the opposite or rear face to of the panel board.

According to the present invention, the panel boards 5 are secured inwall or ceiling-forming positions by attaching them to conventionalbacking or structural members H such as studs, joists and the like, themargins of the respective panel boards being. disposed in an overlappingrelation to the backing members as shown most 5 clearly in Figs; 2 and3, leaving a substantial space between adjacent panel boards toaccommodate the fastening devices or anchor strips l2 and It, the formerof which is particularly adapted foruse intermediate adjacent panels in10 a straight wall or ceiling construction, and the latter of which isparticularly adapted for use intermediate the end panel boards of a pairof meeting walls, such, for example, as two side walls or one side walland a ceiling.

Referring particularly to the fastening device I2, it will be observedthat such device in its entirety is made of expanded metal and is soshaped as to provide a base 15 adapted to abut against the backingmember ii, to which it is securely fastened as by a series of nails iii.The base 15 and its associated wing-like gussets ll collectivelyconstitute a channel structure, the side walls (1. e. wing-like gussetsll) of which are inclined outwardly and form with the backing member Hand the adjacent panel boards a pair of relatively large pockets It, thefunction of which will hereinafter more clearly appear. As shown mostclearly in Fig. 3, the wing-like gussets H are provided at their outerends witha pair of panel-board'engaging flanges 2b which impinge on. theledges 5 of adjacent panel boards, the force of impingement, and hencethe clamping action of the flanges being due to the inherent tension setup in the fastening devices when they are nailed or otherwise secured tothe backing members i l and being of suincient intensity to effectivelyretain the panel boards in wall or ceiling-forming positions againstsuch backing members. As will be understood from Fig. l, the 40fastening devices I? at opposite ends or sides of the panel boards of agiven row or series of such boards may be of uninterrupted lengthsthroughout the linear extent of that row or series of panel boards,whereas the remaining fastening devices employed in connection with thepanel boards of that series or row may be cut to lengths correspendingto the distance between the longer or full length fastening devices.

According to the present invention, it is easily possible to lend a neatfinish to the wall or ceiling along all lines of jointure betweenadjacent panel boards 5 by there applying a filler, such as a suitableplaster 2! which flows readily through the mesh or openings in thewing-like gussets ll of primed reference characters, it is believedunnecessary to elaborate on the details of construction or the functionof the device other than to -point out that the base B includes a pairof base porions l, connected together by an intermediate web 22 whichforms with the structural members I I a relatively large pocket 24, thefunction of which, like that of the pockets l8 and I8 is to receive aportion of the plaster 2| or similar material as it is applied along theline of jointure between the end panel boards of two meeting walls or ofone wall and a ceiling in order to lend a neat corner finish at suchline of jointure.

Although only one modification, namely, the modified form of fasteningdevice for use intermediate the end panel boards of two meeting walls orof one wall and a ceiling is herein shown and described, it will beunderstood that various other changes may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wall or ceiling construction, a backing member, a plurality ofpanel boards arranged in a spaced meeting relation and having theirmargins overlying said backing member, a fastening device secured tosaid backing member intermediate said panel boards and including a baseattached to said backing member, a pair of perforated wing-like gussetsextending outwardly from said base and forming with said backing memberand with said panel boards a pair of relatively large pockets, a pair ofpanel-board engaging flanges carried by said wing-like gussets andimpinging on adjacent panel boards, and a filler overlying said base,said gussets, and said panel-board engaging flanges, and a similarfiller confined within said pockets and in union with thefirst-mentioned filler.

In a wall or ceiling construction, a backing member, a plurality ofpanel boards having marginal ledges disposed rearwardly of the plane ofthe Wall-forming faces of such boards, said panel boards being arrangedin; a spaced meeting relation and having their margins overlying saidbacking member, a fastening device secured to said backing memberintermediate said panel boards and including a base attached to saidbacking member, a pair of perforated wing-like gussets extendingoutwardly from said base and forming with said backing member and withsaid panel boards a pair of relatively large pockets, a pair ofpanel-board engaging flanges carried by said wing-like gussets andimpinging on said ledges of adjacent panel boards, and a filleroverlying said base, said gussets, and said panelboard engaging flanges,and a similar filler confined within said pockets and in union with thefirst-mentioned filler.

3. In a wall or ceiling construction, backing members, a plurality ofpanel boards arranged in a spaced meeting relation and having theirmargins overlying said backing members, a fastening device secured tosaid backing members intermediate said panel boards and comprising abase including a pair of base portions, a perforated web connecting saidbase portions and forming with said backing members a relatively largepocket, a pair of perforated wing-like gussets extending outwardly fromsaid base and forming with said backing members and with said panelboards a pair of relatively large pockets, a pair of panel-boardengaging flanges carried by said wing-like gussets and impinging onadjacent panel boards, and a filler overlying said base portions, saidweb, said gussets and said panel-board engaging flanges, and a similarfiller confined within said pockets and in union with thefirst-mentioned filler.

4. In a wall or ceiling construction, backing members, a plurality ofpanel boards having marginal ledges disposed rearwardly of the planes ofthe wall-forming faces of such boards, said panel boards being arrangedin a spaced meeting relation and having their margins overlying saidbacking members, a fastening device secured to said backing membersintermediate said panel boards and comprising'a base including a pair ofbase portions, a perforated web connecting said base portions andforming with said backing members a relatively large pocket, a pair ofperforated wing-like gussets extending outwardly from said base andforming with said backing members and with said panel boards a pair ofrelatively large pockets, a pair of panel-board engaging flanges carriedby said wing-like gussets and impinging on said ledges of adjacent panelboards, and a filler overlying said base portions, said web, saidgussets and said panel-board engaging flanges, and a similar fillerconfined within said pockets and in union with the first-mentionedfiller.

FRANK W. RICHARDSON.

